The dawn of a new era is about to take place for the Nova Southeastern University men’s basketball program. On Tuesday, March 21, Director of Athletics Michael Mominey has announced the hiring of NCAA coaching legend Jim Crutchfield as the next head coach. Crutchfield takes over the Sharks men’s basketball program after 13 successful seasons at NCAA Division II West Liberty.
On Thursday, March 23 the NSU Department of Athletics will be holding an official press conference to introduce Crutchfield as the next head coach of NSU men’s basketball. The press conference will be held inside the Rick Case Arena at noon. All members of the media and NSU community are invited to attend. The press conference will also be streamed live on NSUSharks.com.
“Coach Crutchfield IS Division II men’s basketball,” Mominey stated. “We are fortunate to have a head basketball coach with his pedigree and success coming to South Florida to lead the Sharks program. I would say that I’m excited, but the fact is I’m ecstatic! Not only because of his coaching success, but more about the person and leader that Jim is. His personal and coaching core values and mindset are a perfect match for our athletic department culture and NSU.”
Mominey added, “From his coaching colleagues, to his alumni throughout the country, Coach “Crutch” has the respect of no other out there. He does things the right way, with the right student-athletes who compete at a high level and I can’t wait to see it right here in the Rick Case Arena (aka Shark Tank). I look forward to working alongside him and his staff in building a nationally prominent men’s basketball program.”
In 13 seasons with the West Liberty’s men’s basketball program, Crutchfield has built arguably the most high-profile Division II program in the nation. Having coached the Hilltoppers since 2004-05, he has amassed a career record of 359-61 (.855), which is the highest career winning percentage in college basketball history among ALL NCAA coaches who have spent at least 10 seasons as an NCAA head coach. That places Crutchfield in an elite class of coaching legends that includes Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp (3rd all-time), UCLA’s John Wooden (7th) and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (21st).
For Crutchfield, winning just follows. Since his takeover of the West Liberty program in 2014, the Hilltoppers have posted thirteen 20-plus win seasons five 30-plus win seasons and his teams have been a fixture at or near the top of the NCAA Division II Coaches’ top 25. Since Feb. 2, 2010, Crutchfield’s teams have been ranked in the top 25 for 112 straight weeks, the longest run in the history of NCAA Division II polls and 45 No. 1 rankings over that span are the most of any Division II program. This season, his team finished 28-4, won the Mountain East Conference Tournament and advanced to their eighth straight NCAA tournament appearance.
Since he took over the Hilltopper program, West Liberty is the only team in the country to advance to the Elite Eight four consecutive years since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. If that’s not enough, his 24-9 NCAA tournament record is the highest all-time winning percentage among all active NCAA Division II schools in the country. Under his guidance, West Liberty has ranked among the top-four in points per game in each of his 13 seasons, averaged more than 30 wins a season over the past eight years and has won five of the last seven Atlantic Region titles. His teams have also played in three of the last four NCAA Division II Finals Fours and has made the Sweet Sixteen seven straight seasons.
More on Crutchfield…
- 359-61 career record (.855)
- Two-time National Coach of the Year (Basketball Times – 2012, 2013)
- Three-time Atlantic Region Coach of the Year (NABC – 2011, 2012, 2013)
- Six-time Conference Coach of the Year (2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
- Four-time Furfari Award Winner for top college coach in the state of West Virginia for all sports (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).
- CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Non-Division I Coaches in the nation (2011)
http://www.nsusharks.com/news/2017/3/21/nsu-tabs-jim-crutchfield-as-head-mens-basketball-coach.aspx
